Roll up window screen



J. F. LYNCH ROLL UP wmnow SCREEN Oct. 1, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJan. 2, 1959 ct. 1, 1%? J. F. LYNCH 3,165,542

' ROLL UP WINDOW SCREEN Filed Jan. 2, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WQJ war/m gUnited States Patent 3,105,542 ROLL UP WINDOW SCREEN Jack F. Lynch,Lawndale, (lalifi, assignor, by mesne assignments, to John N. Zark,Lawndale, Calif.

Filed Jan. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 784,523 1 Claim. (til. led-4.8)

This invention relates to means for housing a roll of fabric in astationary position, where the outside of the fabric roll is attached toa member reciprocable in reference to the stationary position, in such amanner that the fabric may be unrolled and re-rolled to follow themovement of the member.

The invention has particular utility and application in providing aflexible roll-away screen for a double-hung window.

For more than seventy years, eiforts have been made to provide roll-awayscreens for windows of this type, as Witness the early Patent No.413,966 issued to Alphonso Riggs in 1889. Since the latter year, anumber of patents have been granted on various arrangements for mountingwindow screening in this manner, but none of such arrangements hasattained what might be fairly considered ready acceptance and Widespreaduse.

One of the principal objections to roll-away screen arrangements, priorto the present invention, has been the large size of the screen roll,and hence of the housing in which it is contained. Large boxlikehousings which are set on a window sill and occupy a substantial part ofthe otherwise open window area, when the lower sash of the window israised, and which housings do not lend themselves to blending into thesash framing when the window is closed, have been generallyaesthetically unacceptable to the public.

Further, such large housings may prevent placing storm windows over thesashes and, hence, must be removed in the wintertime in the latitudeswhere storm windows are needed during the latter season. However, withprior roll-up screen mounting and housing arrangements, unless theoutside diameter of the roll is of the order of two and one quarterinches, the roll does not include suflicient screening to cover the areaexposed by raising a conventional 36 by 48 inch sash. of a double-hungwindow.

Another problem posed by prior known devices has been their complexity,with consequent difiiculty, and high cost of installing them. Fordevices of this type to appeal to the home owner, they must be pricedreasonably close to conventional screens, and they should be simpleenough in structure to enable the Do-lt-Yourself householder to installthem without substantial difiiculty.

The actual mounting unit, moreover, should contain no parts which willdeteriorate through subjection to the elements to which it will beexposed on the outside of the window where screen housings of thischaracter are normally disposed.

Further, the unit should lend itself to easy and inex-,

pensive repair.

The present invention obviates the foregoing problems by providing aneffective roll-away fabric mounting and housing arrangement which iscompact, yet includes suflicient screening to cover any conventional 36by 40 window. The arrangement itself is quite simple, the preferredembodiment consisting of only eight parts, exclusive of the screeningand means for actually securing the screen to the outside of the windowsash. Further, it is easily mounted and, because of its compactness,holds suflicient screening to cover a conventional 36 by 40 inch windowwith an overall diameter approximating the thickness of the upper sash.Such dimensioning enables the screen housing to be seated within thewindow framing in such a manner as not to interfere with the placing ofa storm window over both the upper and lower sashes.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is hereinafter detailed withreference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a double-hung window which is equippedwith a toil-away screen according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section of the rolled up screen shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the screen unrolled to coverthe opened window area;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view, partly broken away, of thescreen mounting arrangement as seen from inside the window;

FIG. 6 is an exploded partial detail, in perspective, showing the mannerof mounting the inner end of the screen;

FIG. 7 is a section showing the inner edge of the screen actuallymounted to the tubular core; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a horizontally mounted roll-away screen,according to the invention.

In its preferred embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. l7 of the drawings,the invention is shown in its application to a roll-away screeninstalled in a double-hung window.

A screen 10 is rolled upon a tubular element 12 by securing one edge 14-to the element 12 by means of an adhesive 16 which is first painted orotherwise laid along the peripheral area which the screen edge '14actually abuts. To afiord a better area of adhesive contact with theoutside wall of the element 12 than would be provided by the crossstrands 11 of the screening 10 alone, a thin strip of paper or tape 18is laid over the edge 14 of the screen parallel to the area of theelement 12 which is coated with the adhesive, and before the lattersets. In this way, the adhesive penetrates through the screening andcontacts the uninterrupted expanse of the paper or tape. The use of thepaper or tape strip 18 also prevents penetration of the adhesive throughto successive layers of screen 10, should the latter be rolled up beforethe adhesive sets completely.

The tubular element 12 is mounted for rotation on, and between a pair ofoppositely directed coaxially disposed spindles Zi), 2011, each of whichis fixedly secured against rotation. One of such spindles 20, 20a isprovided in each side of the window framing 22.

Each spindle is held in the desired position by an orificed plate 24having holes 26 by which the plate may be screwed or nailed to theinside of the sash frame 22, and an additional hole 28 through which ascrew 30 may be inserted from the back side of the plate and into theend of the spindle 20 or 20a, which is drilled and internally threadedto receive such screw 30. In this way, the spindle may be held inposition perpendicular to the plate 24-. Spindle 20 is a shortcylindrical stub. Spindle 20a is elongate and slotted at 21 from itsaxially inwardly projecting end 23. Each plate 24 is provided with apositioning boss 25, the function of which will be fully explainedhereafter.

The element 12 is actually mounted for rotation on and about thespindles 20, 20a by means of a pair of sleevelike bushings 32 and 34which are inserted, one in each end of the element 12. The bushing 32 isa simple cylindrical sleeve having an outside diameter equal to theinside diameter of the tubular element 12, so as to fit tightly withinone end of the element 12; and an inside diameter only slightly greaterthan the outside diameter of the spindle 29, thereby permitting thebushing 32 to be rotated freely about the spindle 20 when thelatter isinserted through the bushing 32.

Patented Oct. 1, 1963 The bushing 34 is similarly dimensioned but isannularly recessed at35 to receive one extremity 36 of an elongatehelical spring 38. The spring extremity 36 includes a radiatingprojection or boss 40 which is adapted interlockingly to engage a slot41 extending from the end of the tubular element 12. The spring 33extends axially away from such recessed portion 35 in such a manner thatthe spring 38 and bushing 34 may both be simultaneously inserted in thetubular element 12. en so inserted, the other extremity 42 of the spring38 is disposed axially well inside the tube 12.

Both bushings 32 and 34 are preferably made of phenolic resin cottonfabric base, mechanical grade, such as is publicly offered for sale bythe Taylor Fibre Co. of La Verne, Calif., under the trade designaiton ofTaylor Grade C (NEMA).

Bushing 34 is partially orificed at 46 to receive a screw 48 which isfiushly inserted through an orifice 49 in the wall of the tubularelement 12, to prevent the bushing 34 from rotating relative to thetubular element 12. By such fixed relationships, rotation of the element12 causes corresponding rotation of both the bushing 34 and theextremity 36 of the spring 38.

The other extremity 42 of the spring 38 is held against all rotation bythe engagement of the terminal diameter 44 with slotting 21 provided atthe end 23 of the elongate spindle Ztia which extends through and in theaxis of both the bushing 34- and the helical spring 38.

The entire portion of the assembly which is disposed between the spacedplates 24 is encased in a cylindrical housing 52.

The outer edge of thescreening 10 is passed through a longitudinal slot64} which extends the full length of the cylindrical housing 52, and ispermanently secured to a cross member which is dimensioned to seat in achannel '61 in the underside of an element 64-. Both the member 59 andelement 61 are orificed in registry so that a single screw 65 passesthrough both of them, and in this way the outer edge 15 of the screening18 may be secured, when the screening is rolled up, to the outer face 63of the lower window sash 62 at a level justabove the slot 60; One ormore drain holes 58 may be provided, although these are not necessary.

The housing 52 is fixedly secured in relation to the plates 24 byinserting the bosses 25 into the extremities of the slotting 60.

The divider molding, which is conventionally provided in a windowframing to comprise the common inner wall for the channels within whichthe upper and lower sashes slide, is removed from each side of the sideframing downward to the lower sill from the highest point to which theelement 64 can be raised, and is replaced by a channeled molding 67.This molding 67 is formed with a deep narrow channel 66 which serves toguide the lateral edges 68 of the screening as the latter is raised orlowered in the manner hereinafter explained, This channeled molding alsoprevents insects from entering the window by passing around such lateraledges 68 of the screening 10.

To install the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the dividermolding is first replaced with the channeled molding 67 as stated in thepreceding paragraph. The screening 10 is then rolled tightly upon theelement 12, and inserted in the housing 52 but with its edge, secured tothe cross member 59, passed through the slotting 69. The bushings 32, 34(the latter with extremity 36 of the spring 38 disposed upon theannularly recessed portion 35 0f bushing 34) are then inserted one intoeach end of the tubular element 12, so that the spring 38 extendsaxially into the tube core and the projection 40 engages the slot 41.The screw 48 is next passed through hole 49 and the bushing 34 isrotated and moved until its partial hole 46 is in registry with the hole42. The screw 48 is then tightened to secure element 12 and the bushing34 against all rotation relative to each other.

Spindles 29, 20a, tightly mounted on the plates 24, are then insertedthrough the bushings 32, 34 respectively, and the elongated spindle 34is turned until the spring end diameter 44 seats in the spindle slot 21.The plates 24 are pushed toward each other until they are in abutmentwith the extremities of the tube element 12, the plate bosses 25 beingaligned with and inserted in the ends of the slotting 6%, thereby toprevent the screening from becoming unwound.

The entire assembly is now placed in between sides of the window framing22 on the lower sill 74 The outer edge 15 of the screening 10 is nextsecured by the cross member 59 and element 64 to the face 63 of thelower window sash 62 at a level just above the slotting 60, and theplates 24 are screwed into the sides 22 of the window framing.

It will be found that as so assembled and mounted, the illustratedembodiment of the invention provides screening which rolls out and rollsback up with the raising and lowering, respectively, of the Window.

By making the bushings 32, 34 of the fiber plastic recommended above,and the element 12 and spindles 20, Ziia preferably of aluminum, it willbe found that these exposed parts will require no replacements for verylong periods, since rusting and wear do not occur.

The entire unit may be made at a relatively low cost, and installed witha minimum of labor expense. Moreover, the unit may be easily removedwhenever this becomes desirable, although this should seldom becomenecessary because of its long life and the fact that its compactness inoverall dimensioning avoids interference with the installataion of stormwindows in those latitudes where the latter are employed.

It should also be pointed out that the screen roll and mounting bracketsmay conveniently be made up into an assembly and sold as aready-to-install and properly wound-up unit. Such a unit may be readilyinstalled simply by: e

('1) Removing the window divider molding;

(2) Replacing it with the channel molding 67;

(3) Inserting the screen roll unit between the side window framing andseating it on the sill;

(4) Securing the element 64 and cross member 59 to the face of the lowerwindow sash; and

(5) Securing the plates 24 to the side framing by screws or nails.

These steps are quite within the ability of the average do-it-yourselfhouseholder, so that the latter may avoid all labor costs to install theunit.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has een shown in itsapplication to a window which is raised vertically, the unit worksequally well in windows which slide open horizontally, as shown in FIG.8.

Various modifications of the illustrated structure will undoubtedlyoccur to those skilled in the art, but insofar as these modificationsemploy the principles of the pres-.

ent invention, they are intended to be comprehended within the scopethereof.

1 claim:

A roll-up screen combination adapted for installation in a window havinga sash slidable across the window opening to open and close the same,and to provide a screen covering for the window area exposed upon thesliding of the sash to open the window, said screen being rolled upproportionately with the closing of said slidable sash, said combinationcomprising; a tubiilar element, said element being provided with bushingmeans to receive for rotation of the element thereabout and wherein thebushing means is annularly recessed on its extremity which is firstinserted into the element, an elongate spindle extending through oneend' of the element and with the end of the element into which theelongatespindle is inserted being slotted; an elongated helical springprovided with a radiating boss at one end, said spring opposingcounterrotation of its extremities, one

end of said spring received within the annularly recessed portion of thebushing means and with the radiating boss received within the slottedend of the element in interlocking engagement to prevent rotation ofsaid spring extremity relative to the element and the other end of saidspring extending axially the said element; a flexible sheet of screeningrolled upon said element, the inner edge of said sheet being secured tosaid element; a rigid housing, said housing surrounding said element andbeing slotted for the full length of said sheet, the outer edge of saidsheet being passed through said slotting and secured to said slidablesash to move therewith; means to dispose said spindle from one of itsends in an axis parallel to said sash edge and in proximity to said edgewhen the sash is closed, the last said means further holding saidspindle against all rotation; the free end of said spindle beingprovided with means to engage the unsecured extremity of said springwhen the spindle is inserted through the bushing means and into thetubular element; the said means to dispose the spindle being fur- 6 therprovided with means to interlock with the said housing and to preventrotation relative thereto, whereby the screening may be tightly rolledup and the spring turned until it is tightened and upon suchinterlocking, the coil tension is held while the means to dispose thespindle is fixedly mounted within the Window framing.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS916,389 Cowell et a1. Mar. 23, 1909 1,459,155 Ioor June 19, 19231,663,243 Dagrosa Mar. 20, 1928 1,807,161 Loven May 26, 1931 2,406,761Golkowski Sept. 3, 1946 2,772,731 Korba Dec. 4, 1956 2,929,444 MahloufiMar. 22, 19

FOREIGN PATENTS 37,518 France Sept. 16, 1930

